2. Why did you open it?
I've been crafty forever, but I initially started wire-knitting jewelry pieces and saw a market for them on etsy. However, the process was really hard on my hands. I went back to knitting with softer fibers, but had collected enough jewelry-making tools and supplies that I began repairing and then making my own jewelry. A friend then asked me to re-create a cairn necklace for her, and that took me in a whole other direction that I find really fulfilling.

3. How do you create your items?
Right now my favorite supplies are beach stones and crystals. Jewelry items are a collision of expanding stash, experimentation, and inspiration. I tend to work in spurts, as I imagine many creative people do. I only knit in cooler weather, which seems more and more rare here in LA.

4. What is your workspace like?
Most of my knitting happens in a special chair, away from the dogs after the kids are in bed. In temperate weather I take my jewelry stash outside – especially the rocks and natural stones – and concoct new pieces while my youngest plays in the yard. The rest of the time I’m at a standing workstation in my studio. It always looks like my stash has exploded to some degree, but that mess sometimes helps spur some of the most creative pieces.

5. What advice would you give to someone just opening an Etsy shop?
I’m still a baby seller (or maybe a tot…coming up on 200 sales) but here are a few things that would have saved me some time and stress. If you sell items, try to take nice pictures, outside, in the early evening just before sunset. Use your most flattering photos first and last in your listings. Use a hook at the end of your listings (last one, one of a kind, while supplies last, limited offer, or how the item will make customer feel) and either put effort into keyword loading or spend some money on advertising. And finally, customer service really is key.

I use 100% top quality Swarovski Crystals to create beautiful crystal rainbow suncatchers! I use the finest supplies I can find to make my suncatchers!

I am a small business hobbiest and do this for therapeutic reasons and because.... I love Rainbows, the Sun, Moon and Stars and yes even Puffy Fluffy Clouds Make Me Happy! I hope that you will find something you love and know that it is being created with great love and meticulous care just for you!............

My Suncatchers were featured in the 2008 Women's World Magazine.

Sun catchers for your rearview mirrors in your car and homer.

Swarovski Crystals are the finest crystals in the world and the beauty and quality is unmatched.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Welcome to October and the new challenge for the team. This month it's all about promoting our shops as well as the shops of our teammates to have the biggest holiday season we've ever had.

Wanna join? This month it's dead simple. You can:

Promote your shop

On the social media outlet of your choice, show off your shop in any way you wish. Use #CCCOEchallenge so that we can find you. And let us know about your post in the comments here.

Promote teammates items and/or shops

On the social media outlet of your choice, show off something from a teammate. Or two. Or more. Again, let us know via #CCCOEchallenge, as well as in the comments.

Share and Like

Don't have time to create your own social media content? Reshare others'. Even likes help teammates gain visibility. Check out the comments here to find what to reshare. Or check out #CCCOEchallenge to find posts on the social media outlet of your choice.

Points

If you want to play along, let us know in the comments of this post what you've done. 10 points for each original post, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, or any other outlet of your choice. That's 10 points for posts about your shop or any fellow teammate.

Reposts are worth 5 points. Likes are worth a point. Again, let us know in the comments if you're playing along.